Make Your Money Work For You

I used to detest setting financial goals. They always had a negative implication because they served as a stark reminder of my financial inadequacy. Morningstar’s director of personal finance, Christine Benz, gave me a reality check. “You know how it is when you don’t start a day with a to-do list. You get buffeted around by whatever comes up: phone calls, answering emails, chatting with colleagues. Managing your finances without first articulating your near- and long-term goals is pretty similar. The days will go by, and you’ll find plenty of ways to spend your money. But you won’t get to where you really wanted to go.” You won’t get where you really wanted to go. That’s when it hit me!! I was approaching it the wrong way. The problem was not with my  goals, the problem was with my narrative around those goals. What do I mean?...